Joy Grdnic Christenson, owner of the Fountain on Locust, won a free solar-energy system for her creative entry. Brightergy surprised her by parading down Locust for the announcement, and awarded her with a “check” for 25,259 kilowatt hours of local, Missouri solar electricity.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) May 13, 2013

Brightergy, a Missouri clean-energy company, surprised the winner of their Naked Roof Contest – Joy Grdnic Christenson, owner of the Fountain on Locust – with fanfare Friday afternoon, as employees paraded down Locust for the announcement, led by the drum line from Vashon High School.

The Fountain on Locust specializes in delicious fresh food, fine ice creams, chocolates and retro cocktails, all in a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted, Art Deco interior in downtown St. Louis. Joy Grdnc Christenson owns the Fountain on Locust, and is a syndicated radio comedienne and local personality as well. She’s particularly known for her creative marketing ideas for her restaurant and ice cream shop.

Brightergy launched a contest in Q1 for local businesses to “Show Them Their Naked Roofs.” Entries were judged by a panel who looked for creative storytelling, and Joy’s entry certainly pleased. She clothed her naked roof with coats and jackets, saying, solar panels would be a much better solution.

The Fountain’s solar-energy system will be installed starting the week of May 20, 2013. During Friday’s announcement, Brightergy awarded Joy with the “check” for 25,259 kilowatt hours of electricity – the amount of solar electricity her system will produce annually, and approximately 15 percent of the total annual electricity use at the Fountain on Locust. It will also save her as much as $2,800 in the first year and more than $65,000 over the 25 – 30 year lifetime of the solar-energy system.

Joy’s system will also prevent the release of 17.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into Missouri’s atmosphere each year. This is the environmental equivalent of offsetting the emissions of 1,998 gallons of gasoline consumed, or of planting more than 450 tree seedlings.

“We couldn’t be more excited that the Fountain on Locust was the winning business in our Naked Roof Contest,” said Jeff Risley, CMO, Brightergy. “The contest was about having fun with solar energy, but also ultimately about supporting local small businesses and helping them save money on their energy costs. Joy’s entry was creative and enthusiastic, making it that much more thrilling for us to be providing her business with free solar energy.”

About The Fountain on Locust

The Fountain on Locust specializes in delicious fresh food, fine ice creams, chocolates and retro cocktails, all in a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted, Art Deco interior in downtown St. Louis. It is also the most photographed restaurant in St. Louis, was voted America’s Best Restroom, and is the home of the Ice Cream Martini.

About Brightergy

Brightergy is a clean-energy company. We reduce organizations’ electric bills with solar power. Clients save money from day one, control future costs, and build a reputation as an organization making an impact. Our extensive experience includes hundreds of projects for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies and utilities to non-profits and mid-sized businesses. Brightergy is headquartered in Kansas City, with offices in St. Louis and Boston. We currently serve the Massachusetts and Missouri solar markets and can be found at http://brightergy.com.